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Consumer Action by Aleksandra Todorova (Author Archive)
The Best Cars of 2006
"The Japanese manufacturers have great attention to detail, they make cars people want to buy," says David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' Auto Test Department. "Their cars have great reliability." (For the full list, see the table below.)
Each year, Consumer Reports tests hundreds of new cars it buys anonymously from car dealers. Engineers and technicians test the cars at its East Haddam, Conn., Auto Test Center and on public roads for performance, support and safety.
At the same time, Consumer Reports reaches out to its subscribers to survey new and used cars' reliability — a measure of how often owners have to take their car to the dealer to be fixed. This year's findings: Owners of Japanese cars reported the least problems, while those driving domestic or European vehicles had to take their cars to the repair shop more often than they liked.
Only 9% of 2003 Toyota Highlander (V6) owners reported having problems with their cars over the past three years, for example, compared with 56% of the owners of 2003 Land Rover Range Rovers. With eight-year-old cars, 24% of 1998 Toyota Tacoma owners have had to take their vehicle in for repairs over the past eight years, compared with 72% of Volkswagen Passat owners. (For a list of the most reliable cars over the past eight years, see the tables below.)
To make the top picks list, a car has to have scored at or near the top among competing vehicles on Consumer Reports' testing program, have an average or better predicted reliability, and must have performed adequately in overall crash protection tests performed by the insurance industry.
Among the other interesting findings of this year's Consumer Reports car surveys:
- Hybrids are not as cost-effective as most think. Hybrid cars save you money at the pump, but the savings are often offset by their higher purchase price and sales tax, as well as extra insurance, maintenance and depreciation costs. Overall, Consumer Reports estimated the total five-year car-ownership costs of a hybrid exceed those of similar conventional vehicles by anywhere from $1,883 to $5,508. Only two models — the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic — saved their owners $406 and $317, respectively, over the first five years.
- European cars lag. Thought German cars were superior? Forget about it. European car makers continue to get beaten by their Japanese and domestic counterparts. Currently, the owner of an eight-year-old Toyota, for example, is expected to report fewer problems than the owner of a 2005 Volkswagen.
- High-tech gadgets can be a pain. Have your eyes on the latest GPS system or a car with an electronic key? These can be a costly hassle, says Consumer Reports. GPS systems can cost up to $200 or $250 to update, and if lost, electronic keys are just as costly to replace.
Consumer Reports' Top Picks 2006 | |||
| Category | Winner | Overall
MPG | CR Notes |
| Small Sedan Less than $20,000 | Honda Civic EX | 28 | Roomy interior, comfortable ride, good handling and fuel economy. Curtain air bags are standard and crash-test results are impressive. |
| Family Sedan ,000 - $30,000 | Honda Accord EX (4-cyl.) | 24 | Excellent balance of comfort, roominess and handling. The hybrid delivers quicker acceleration and moderately better gas mileage of 25 mpg overall. |
| Upscale Sedan ,000 - $40,000 | Acura TL | 23 | Among the highest-scoring sedans. Provides a near-ideal blend of comfort, convenience, and sportiness — at a reasonable $33.700. |
| Luxury Sedan | Infiniti M35 | 18 | As capable as threading a twisty road as it is cruising on the highway. |
| Small SUV Less than $30,000 | Subaru Forrester | 21 | A good value at about $23,000 for the 2.5X. The Honda CR-V ($24,000) is a runner-up, with more room and standard electronic stability control. |
| Midsized SUV More than $30,000 | Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 22 | Delivers quick acceleration, a comfortable ride and third-row seat. Impressive 22 mpg for a midsized SUV. |
| Minivan | Honda Odyssey | 19 | Electronic stability control and curtain air bags are standard. The interior is well-crafted and comfortable. The Toyota Sienna, another high scorer, is quieter and rides more comfortably, but is less agile. |
| Green Car | Toyota Prius | 44 | CR's pick for the third year. Certified by the California Air Resources Board as a near-zero-emission vehicle. |
| Fun to Drive | Subaru Impreza WRX/STi | 22 | At $25,000 and $33,000, the Impreza WRX and its high-performance STi variant prove that consumers don't have to spend a lot of money to get a fun-to-drive sports car. |
| Pickup Truck | Honda Ridgeline | 15 | Redefines the pickup, combining the comfortable ride and agile handling of a car-based chassis with a good payload capacity. |
| Source: Consumer Reports' Annual Auto Issue, April 2006. |
How Reliable Is Your Car?
Consumer Reports' Least Problematic 1998-2005 Models | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The owners of these cars had the least problems during the past one to eight years. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Consumer Reports' Most Problematic 1998-2005 Models | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The owners of these cars had to take their vehicles to the repair shop the most during the past one to eight years. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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